Friday, December 28, 2012

TSA Week in Review: Ten Grenades Discovered at Seven Different Airports This Week

Inert
Ordnance and Grenades Etc. –
We continue to find inerthand grenades and
other weaponry on weekly basis. Please keep in mind that if an itemlooks like a realistic bomb, grenade, mine, etc.,
it is prohibited - real or not. When these items are found at a checkpoint or
in checked baggage, they can cause significant delays. I know they are cool
novelty items, but it is best not to take them on a plane. Read here
and here on
why inert items cause problems.

Four
grenades were discovered in carryon bags this week at Salt Lake City (SLC),
Harlingen (HRL), Tampa (TPA), and Miami (MIA).

Six
grenades were discovered in checked baggage. Three at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW),
two at Albuquerque (ABQ), and one at Gulfport (GPT).

Items
in the Strangest Places
–It’s important to check your bags prior to traveling. If a prohibited item is
discovered in your bag, you could be cited and possibly arrested by local law
enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were
found in strange places.

Three
saw blades were discovered taped to the inside of an iPad case at Washington
Dulles (IAD).

A
razorblade was found in the waistline of a pair of jeans packed in a carry-on
bag at Chicago O’Hare (ORD).

Stun
Guns – Eleven
stun guns were discovered this week in a carry-on bags around the nation: Two
at Atlanta (ATL), three at Baltimore (BWI), and one each at San Francisco
(SFO), Fayetteville (FAY), Denver (DEN), San Diego (SAN), Seattle (SEA), and
Minneapolis (MSP).

Body
Scanner FindThis
Week: A switchblade knife was discovered in the pants pocket of a passenger
at San Diego (SAN).

Unfortunately
these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about
these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are
finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the
throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up
with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. This is a friendly reminder
to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on
an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law
enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had
these items.

How about a little TSA Blog honesty. Real grenades or something else shaped somewhat like a grenade?

If an item is inert then it is not a weapon.

This constant TSA fear mongering is clearly an attempt to justify the TSA sexual assault feel downs, the electronic and in some cases real TSA strip searches and other TSA procedures that have no basis in security.

How about not reporting these things until a person is charged with a crime and then only after being found guilty of that crime?

Wow, no mention of the "End of Year Message from Administrator Pistole"? In his address, Mr. Pistole comments on TSA employee morale: "That being said, I think morale improves as passengers engage with us differently and outside groups, whether airlines, airports, trade associations, whoever it may be, Congress. As they see a different TSA, particularly as we expand the RBS and Pre✓™ opportunities, I think we win people over, perhaps one at a time."

As a frequent flier, I can tell Mr. Pistole that I am like most professional and thoughtful Americans. I won't soon forget getting virtually stripped searched and inappropriately touched by a unionized government employee - the TSA. Mr. Pistole, you won't "win" me over. The TSA has developed a well-deserved sordid reputation - and now they have to live with it.

So this week, you found 10 non-weapons that looked like grenades (which, if your 70% failure rate holds, means 7 non-weapons that looked like grenades made it through just fine, which is fine by me, as they're not weapons), and your virtual strip search found something that could have been caught by a metal detector. How many false-positives had to be cleared this week? To find a weapon which is, admittedly, illegal in most places, but could do absolutely zero damage to a plane... Other than maybe to destroy a seat or two. How much did these strip search machines cost again? (rhetorical question) Too much to justify this theater, for sure.

Back to those "grenades." If the TSA were not fear mongering, the headline would NOT say "Ten Grenades Discovered at Seven Different Airports This Week." It would say "Ten Inert Grenades Discovered at Seven Different Airports This Week." Quit with the fear-mongering headlines, Bob. We see right through them.

Why do you need a full body scanner to find a knife? They are detected by metal detectors, and are not a threat since cockpits were secured.

The paucity of full body scanner findings in this blog has convinced me they are making us less safe, by allowing weapons through (they aren´t visible on the sides of the body, in orifices, under skin flaps or under fake skin).

Quoting Anonymous "The paucity of full body scanner findings in this blog has convinced me they are making us less safe, by allowing weapons through (they aren´t visible on the sides of the body, in orifices, under skin flaps or under fake skin)."

I've always been amazed that when I opt out of the AIT they don't have me walk thru the metal detector anyway before my pat down. I've always made it clear I'm not opting out of the metal detector. I usually state, not that it matters, that it is within their discretion to use the metal detector or AIT to screen me but I will opt out of AIT as I alarm it anyway. If I had metal in my body I might opt out of the metal detector too but I don't and have made that clear. There are many places on the body you could tape a metal object that would be missed by the few dozen or so pat downs that I have received. I find this amusing in part because I tell the screener when I opt out exactly where on my body the AIT alarms. A different screener always does the pat down and they never touch me there. Partly because they only ask where I'm sensitive and their training doesn't seem to include asking why I would alarm the AIT unless I did. So they'd rather put a finger inside the waistband of my underwear and run along it then at any point pay attention to where I said where I will alarm the AIT. At least we had a picture this week of someone hiding a razor blade in the waistband of a pair of slacks. I'm not sure if the finger inside the underwear waistband would feel it. The elastic waistband depending on the strength of the material might mask it. The metal detector and a hand wand would better alert the screener something was amiss long before a pat down would have found it though.

onymous said... Why is "TSORon" comparing the DHS, er, TSA employees who "volunteered" to work on Sandy relief to the US military? He's saying those "volunteer" TSA employees are the same as our "volunteer" military.

December 30, 2012 6:14 AM ...............

People like TSOron helps explain why TSA is such a dispised organization.

The TSA are enforcing rules to protect your life. The rules might be inconvinent, but they are based on "lessons learned" events pre and post 9-11. They are not just for show and I pray that your complaining won't ease the rules and make it easier for people to do life threatening things like bring a weapon on board a plane. Do you not value your life?

Anonymous said... The TSA are enforcing rules to protect your life. The rules might be inconvinent, but they are based on "lessons learned" events pre and post 9-11. They are not just for show and I pray that your complaining won't ease the rules and make it easier for people to do life threatening things like bring a weapon on board a plane. Do you not value your life?

December 30, 2012 4:33 PM ........................

Bull Hockey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What lessons learned?

That granny or a little kids needs to be felt up some government employee to fly on an airplane?

That the public at large needs to be x-rayed with dangerous scanners just to fly on airplanes?

That our water and other beverages somehow suddenly become so dangerous that TSA confiscates them only to toss them in common trash at TSA checkpoints?

@ Anonymous said..."Why is "TSORon" comparing the DHS, er, TSA employees who "volunteered" to work on Sandy relief to the US military? He's saying those "volunteer" TSA employees are the same as our "volunteer" military."

You would think the TSA would adjust the watch list for an Olympic athlete. Detained every time he comes to the USA, they must be to busy with inert grenades to pay attention.http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/whoops-two-time-olympic-gold-medalist-mo-farah-191343676--oly.html

The TSA are enforcing rules to protect your life. The rules might be inconvinent, but they are based on "lessons learned" events pre and post 9-11. They are not just for show and I pray that your complaining won't ease the rules and make it easier for people to do life threatening things like bring a weapon on board a plane. Do you not value your life?

Bob said, "Please keep in mind that if an item looks like a realistic bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is prohibited - real or not."

It makes sense to investigate anything that looks like a real weapon, but TSA confiscates such things even after determining that they are not real weapons! Examples:

1. Grenade-shaped belt buckle (TSA blog, 11/2/2012) - "A replica grenade belt buckle was discovered at Madison (MSN). With the naked eye, you could tell this was a belt buckle, but it looks real on the X-ray monitor."

2. Toy pirate sword and toy pirate gun (http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/07/29/TSA-seizes-Disney-World-toys/UPI-63061248898047/) - "She said TSA officers did not give her the option of moving the items to checked baggage. 'They just took them. They're just toys,' she said."

3. Gun-shaped purse decoration (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/02/tsa-stops-passenger-over-purse-design_n_1125354.html) - "Agents eventually recognized the gun was fake, but she was told to check the bag or surrender it."

Confiscation of fake weapons and "things that look like weapons" makes no sense! Yes, investigate the real-looking ones when you find them but allow them on the plane once you have determined they are not real. Confiscating non-weapons does nothing for TSA's credibility.

Quoting Anonymous "You would think the TSA would adjust the watch list for an Olympic athlete. Detained every time he comes to the USA."

Disgraceful yes but Customs and Immigration is detaining him, not TSA. True both agencies are under the DHS umbrella and DHS maintains the watchlists but it's still not TSA detaining him. TSA let a couple with Iranian passports use the metal detector on my last trip but directed me to AIT so maybe TSA gives him the same treatment for all we know.

Seemed to be policy that couples, with or without children, got the metal detector and singles got AIT. Screener making that decision wasn't the document checker though. When I said I was opting out of AIT he offered to pass me thru the metal detector if I was the father of the child behind me with his mother. See I could have lied there and said yes how would that have enhanced safety? It wouldn't have they just clearly wanted to keep holiday lines moving. Btw I only noticed the passports at the gate when they showed the gate agent. I'm sure if they had a US visa they were vetted but kind of sad I was the one that got nude-o-scope or pat down there and they got pre 9/11 screening. All proper procedures were followed :)

"She said TSA officers did not give her the option of moving the items to checked baggage. 'They just took them. They're just toys,' she said."

But, but, but TSORon says passengers are always given the opportunity to make their own "choices" (he's big on people making choices) over the disposition of their possessions.

"We give the list of options to the passenger and then THEY get to choose which one fits their situation best. We dont "confiscate" anything, but if a passenger decides that they would rather abandon it at the checkpoint than take one of the other options then the TSA is required to deal with it."

All you guys who are not worried about inert grenades. If someone threw an "inert" grenade at you would you know the difference? The 911 hijackers were able to get the crew and passengers to submit because they had a fake bomb.

Seems like most of the whiners in this blog don't have experience living in parts of the world where terrorism is a way of life. I have. We're not living in Disneyland. As a high mileage world traveler, I've seen the TSA go a bit overboard (not the USA but rather in Costa Rica where they took a small umbrella I had), but from my perspective they seem to be doing okay. I look forward to the day I don't have to fly any more, not because of the TSA but because of the bad guys who, by the way, really are out there. I know. I've met a couple of them (not in air travel). They have the USA in their sights, and have committed their lives to their cause. Let's get real, people.

Anonymous said... All you guys who are not worried about inert grenades. If someone threw an "inert" grenade at you would you know the difference? The 911 hijackers were able to get the crew and passengers to submit because they had a fake bomb.

-----------------------------

I'm almost certain that the 9/11 hijackers only had box cutters, which were permitted at the time. I didn't think they had bombs. Even if somebody did have a bomb on board today, they aren't going to gain entrance to the cockpit and crash the plane into a building. They may blow up the plane, which would be a tragedy, but another 9/11 style attack will never happen again.

Wow-----such negativity by anonymous blog readers. With all its faults, TSA, is all we have standing between us and the morons (who thrive off of American's stupid mentality to support anything anti-American) want to destroy anything American.

All of you who think this isn't necessary -maybe you should post your travel schedule so that employees can ease up on vigilence on your flight. possibly instead of complaining of delays in security, people could leave these things that they know very well aren't allowed, at home, save time, save expense, instead of believing that rules are for others while you can do as you please. Grow up and behave.

Wordwar!.... I would certanly not want to be on an aircraft where somebody has a knife, gun or some other weapon! Think about what could happen!!! Thanks god there is this TSA checking for everything!Come on guys, use your brains, please!!!

Is there any progress toward allowing a key ring size Swiss Army knife on board? (Blade under 2-1/2".) In a document I read years ago, the TSA said this is no longer an item of interest because access to the cockpit can't be gained and that we know if one or two people stood up with a teeny knife that passengers would overpower them. What's the real answer?

It's always interesting to see how many whiners there are compared to people who appreciate the position these screeners are in. I applaud the TSA and it's employees for their efforts. It's an ugly world out there and most citizens don't have the legal authority to step in and do anything. Nor the courage. Of course the whiners would call that vigilantizm. And not every citizen is capable of dealing with situations they haven't been trained to address. That's why we have entities like the TSA., State Police, etc..

Anonymous said..."All you guys who are not worried about inert grenades. If someone threw an "inert" grenade at you would you know the difference? The 911 hijackers were able to get the crew and passengers to submit because they had a fake bomb."

No, they got crew and passengers to submit because that is what crew and passengers were taught to do.

Of all the criticism one could justifiably levy at the TSA, I cannot fathom how confiscating inert grenades would be one of them. This is not complicated: This is just basic risk management, folks. I can't imagine any civil aviation system in the developed world that would allow its passengers to travel with inert grenades, TSA or no TSA.

LOL! I might be momentarily frightened by an inert grenade, but it isn't deadly and not a threat to aviation safety.

Plus, if the INERT or REPLICA grenade was in the sterile area, then it must have been vetted and approved by the TSA, right? Why should I be scared? It isn't like they miss 70% of the weapons that are brought on planes, right? We have no reason to fear anything on a plane cuz the TSA is so efficient and never make mistakes, right?

lindal said..."All of you who think this isn't necessary -maybe you should post your travel schedule so that employees can ease up on vigilence on your flight. possibly instead of complaining of delays in security, people could leave these things that they know very well aren't allowed, at home, save time, save expense, instead of believing that rules are for others while you can do as you please. Grow up and behave."

Look up the phrase "logical fallacy" and let me know what you find ;) This argument has been debunked so many times that it's almost not worth debunking yet again. But here goes... Show me where anyone on here has said "no security." NO ONE has argued that. So, while insults are being allowed on this blog, maybe a little growing up is in order on your part as well ;)